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The Ink and Iron Tattoo Convention and Custom Show

29th March 2008

The Ink and Iron Tattoo Convention and Custom Show returns to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre on the 12 – 13 April 2008. Lovers of tattoos can’t fail to enjoy this great event, which is now in its fifteenth year.

With a wide variety of talented tattoo artists at the convention, you’ll be able to check out some of their work, and maybe even persuade them to try out a few designs on you. Ink and Iron will be attended by some world-famous tattoo artists, providing you with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get some work done by a world-class artist that you’ve read about in specialist tattoo magazines.

There will prizes of £100, a trophy and free passes to next year’s show for the tattooists responsible for the best tattoos of the convention. However, there will also be a much higher accolade available for one lucky tattooist – the coveted Tattoo Artist of the Convention award.

Although primarily a tattoo convention, there will be a programme of great entertainment at Ink and Iron, which will comprise of both music and performance. Among the bands playing at the event are Abigail’s Mercy, a goth rock band with a distinctive sound and dual vocals, and Uniting the Elements, a hard rocking trio from Germany. Joining them will be AKA Skaface, who are regarded as Birmingham’s biggest ska band, and Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs, who play their own distinctive brand of punk-infused 50s skiffle.

Performers include Kamelyan, a beautiful and grotesque performance artist, who is sure to dazzle with her live suspension act. Less attractive, but equally impressive is Hannibal from Circus of Horrors. He will be shocking and delighting the crowd with his weird and wonderful feats, as will Captain Howdy’s Flying Circus.

As well as a varied programme of entertainment, you’ll also find a fantastic custom show at Ink and Iron. While the first twelve years of the event featured only motorcycles, Ink and Iron has also included scooters for the last two years, a landmark decision that mixed up the motorcycle and scooter scenes for the first time at any event. This year, the sheer size of the National Exhibition Centre has allowed the custom show to be expanded further still, so it now includes custom cars, trucks, and pick-ups.

To reflect the expansion of the custom show, Ink and Iron have dramatically increased the amount of prize money for winning custom vehicles. Categories for the Best Custom at this show are divided into best motorcycle, best scooter, best trike, best street fighter, best car, and best commercial vehicle, which includes pick-ups and vans. Winners of these categories will be able to take away a massive £1,000 in prize money.
 
The Ink and Iron Tattoo Convention and Custom Show takes place at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre on 12 – 13 April 2008. It is open on Saturday from 11am to 10.30pm and on Sunday from 10am to 7pm.